Self Defense in the New Testament The Christian pacifist may try to argue that God has changed His mind from the time that He gave Moses the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20 or the provision for justifiably killing a thief in Exodus 22. But the writer of Hebrews makes it clear that this cannot be, because "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever" (Hebrews 13:. In the Old Testament, the prophet Malachi records God's words this way: "For I am the Lord, I do not change" (Malachi 3:6). WRONGPunishment of sin such as theft is God's domain for he is Judgeonly he without sin can rightiously aplly such a punishment for a theif threfore only God could do such a thing.

Jesus illustrated this point to the pharissess and teachers of (God's) lawwhen he was asked about the woman caught in the act of adultery the punishment for which according to the law was stoning the woman to death.Jesus then made it VERY plain that the Laws of God are set out to highlight things which God hates, namely sin.Buit then Jesus made it plain that only God is HOLY and RIGHTIOUS ENOUGH To carry out the punishment of the things he hatesand no man was without SINexcept Jesus himself (even though those clamming to be Gods servents didnt believe that.)So Jesus told themLet HE WHO IS WITHOUT SIN CAST THE FIRST STONE.Showing that NO MAN HAD THE RIGHT TO CARRY OUT GOD'S JUSTICE IN REGARD TO GODS LAWS.